


Magnetic Forces

by BlueParachutes



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: #swearing, AU, Abuse, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, BASICALLY JANE IS THE 'MIKE' IN THE STORY AND MIKE IS THE 'ELEVEN', Bullying, Dustin and Lucas like to talk, Eleven is Jane, Eleven is in their party, Eleven is normal, F/M, Hopper has issues, Jane actually has powers too but she hasn't unlocked them yet, Jane almost falls on a sharp object, Jane has a shaved head, Jane is bullied at school, Jane is just too pure, Jopper is strong, Joyce and Hopper are getting married, Mention of blood, Mike Has Powers, Mike and Jane both have the same powers, Mike is mysterious, Mike saves Jane, Mom Steve, Mystery, No Hawkins Lab, Season 1 appearances, Some of the kids are going to have powers, Steve Harrington is a mom, With Hopper, anger issues, but season 2 vibes, fighting aliens, kids are just born with powers, no upside down, superhero, the other boys don't know mike, the other girls call her a boy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-03-21 07:11:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13735791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueParachutes/pseuds/BlueParachutes
Summary: Jane is just your average girl who goes to school with her best friends. Will, Dustin, and Lucas are in her party, but what happens when she meets a mysterious boy one afternoon? A certain boy with powers turns her world upside down.





	1. Ice Cream

**Author's Note:**

> Hello,
> 
> So this is my second attempt at a Stranger Things fic. I am pretty new to writing fan fiction so I hope it's ok!

The sun had just peaked it's head over the immense horizon of Hawkins as Jane stuffed a spoon full of cereal into her mouth. It was Saturday morning, just past six o’clock, and Jane was already bored out of her skull. Since her parents had driven off to work in a frantic rush, she was left with nothing but the heavy clicking of an ancient clock. At least on any other given day, Jane would be greeted by the few friends she had. She loved being able to hang out with Lucas, Dustin, and Will after the final bell had rung, free from the crumbly brick walls that captured every child in town.

Jane’s parents were always trying to convince her to hang out with the _charming_ girls down the street; however, Jane didn’t want to lower he immense standards. Jane wasn’t your typical childlike girl. No, Jane didn’t want to dress up in some delicate, soft-hued dress and sit on the sidelines. She loved getting her hands messy and dirty when she rolled around in the thick mud as she played tag with _her_ boys. Jane didn’t want to sit around twisting her hair and gossiping about who had gotten the most valentines in the grade.

This year, all the girls had gotten multiple valentines. Of course, they were covered in too many sparkles and lined with dainty stickers; however, when Jane opened her mailbox, she was greeted with a cold, vacant space. In that very moment in time, Jane felt as if the ocean had possessed her eyes as they had begun to fill up with salty, thick tears. She didn’t understand why the rest of the girls made a fuss about her. She was nothing special. After word had fluttered around the school, Jane was greeted by three friendly faces and an entire bucket of valentines.

“These are for you,” Dustin had whispered in a small voice with a tiny smile spread across his thin lips, “You are the only girl in the entire school who deserves a spot in our party. Anyway, it was Will's idea."

Jane was close with all the boys, but Will held a special place in Jane’s incredibly large heart. Jane and Will were alike in many ways and definitely had the most in common. They were both incredibly quite and reserved but incredibly polite and respectful to every single person they came across. Sure, they didn’t fit in, but that was because they were hard wired differently. Jane believed that they were extra pieces in a puzzle that had already been completed. Why not make their own picture?  Will saw them both as rainbow crayons in a box full of dull and boring colors. Their friendship was electric and as calming as tracing a freshly sharpened crayon across a blank canvas.

Jane loved creating new worlds and playing make-believe with Will. When they connected their imaginations together, Will and Jane became an unstoppable, reckoning force. They spent numerous nights building forts with stale sheets at the Byers' home. Often, Jane fantasized about what it would be like to be adopted by Will’s mother, Joyce, and her new boyfriend Hopper. They were the definition of a perfect couple. Jane wished her parents radiated that kind of love and warmth towards her.

Most girls in her class were terrified of the male specimen due to their ‘diseases’, but Jane’s maturity level was far above the average adolescence. They had no idea what they were missing out on. Every Friday evening, Jane spent the night at Dustin’s house, with the other boys, playing Dungeons and Dragons. Without a doubt, Jane knew that she was the best player. Her brain was just like that, but there was no fun in being the best all the time. She loved seeing the look in her friend's eyes as they all lit up like shinning Christmas trees when they were all having a good time. All through the evening, the kid’s laughs echoed throughout the house and danced with the gentle breeze that entered through the cracked kitchen window. When hanging out with her party, Jane felt like she truly belonged. Through all the sharing of snacks and running around the playground, that is what every kid wanted, to belong somewhere.

Jane swallowed her cereal a little too hard and flinched as she felt a stabbing pain run down her back. It didn’t nearly hurt as much as rejection tho. The other day, when the other kids were drawing photos of their families, Jane had sat in the corner alone, hopeless, wishing that Will, Dustin, and Lucas were in her class. The other girls claimed that a ‘boy’ couldn’t draw with them. The term ‘boy’ was a new tag line for her and it was no surprise that the entire class spewed the word out like hot firecrackers.

Even when their teacher had interjected to stop the class from picking on the innocent child, they had continued with their teasing. Eventually, their teacher just gave up on standing up for Jane. His standards had deflated like a balloon. That was the problem with adults. They could be so fucking lazy sometimes. Jane just shrugged it off because it truly didn’t bother her. She knew that boys were awesome and that she would rather hang out with them than some self-centered group of princesses.

As she heard a knock on her family’s front door, Jane was broken out of her twirling thoughts. She was used to thinking, and she now blamed the entire ordeal for her agonizing headaches that plagued her during the darkened hours. Jane widened her chocolate brown eyes as she instantly ducked down to hide behind the old wooden table. Why did her parents have to leave so early in the morning? Jane hated being left alone. After all, she was only a small child. She quickly poked her head up just enough, so she could see out of the foggy kitchen window. She was frightened, but Jane let out a massive sigh of relief since the mysterious figure that lingered at her door was Will Byers.

The door flung open.

Jane poked her head out of the cracked door as she felt the cold air bite against her warm flesh, “Will! You almost scared me half to death!”

“I didn’t mean to!” Will’s eyebrows quickly furrowed together as he looked down at the wooden porch underneath his bright yellow shoes, “I just wanted to see you… I knew that you would probably be home alone since your parents leave so early in the morning.”

Jane could see that she had caused Will some form of stress, “Its ok Will! I know you would never mean to hurt me or scare me. Did you really bike all this way for me?”

Will nodded his head slowly, “My mom was wondering if you wanted to come over and have breakfast with us. Hopper is making a massive breakfast. He’s even making homemade waffles!” Will knew that was enough to peak Jane's interest.

“Is he doing some special for your mom? Like how kids do something special when they share their last cookie with someone?”

“Yes, he is!  My mom got amazing news last night!” Will had to press his lips together to keep his smile from possessing his entire face.

“News about what?” Jane said as she raised her rounded eyebrows. She could tell that Will was going to explode at any give second, like a jack-in-the-box.

Will smiled, a real smile, as his white teeth fell over his bottom lip, “Hopper asked her if she wanted to marry him, and she said yes!”

Jane watched in pure astonishment as Will’s eyes began to turn a shade of pink. They filled up with the waves of the ocean. Will felt like he was floating in the atmosphere. He never imagined that he would have a dad again, somebody that he actually cared about.

“That’s amazing! I am so happy for you!” Jane reached out and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, “This means Hopper is going to be your dad! You’re so lucky Will. You are going to have the best dad on the entire planet!”

“You’re right! Nobody compares to Hopper. He’s absolutely perfect!”

“He may drink a little too much coffee, but other than that, he’s a real gem.”

Will giggled softly, “I will never understand why adults like coffee. It taste so terrible. Why are they so excited to wake up to a cup of coffee? Wouldn’t they be more excited to wake up to a piece of cake? I sure would be.”

“Sweets rule over everything.”

“ _Cake_ rules over everything,” Will explained as he did a quick little spin on the porch.

“Only if it’s chocolate cake!”

“So, are you hungry? Are you up for coming over?” Will could hardly contain himself. He just wanted to run along the streets and sing to anyone who wanted to listen, “Do you want to celebrate with us?”

Jane smiled softly, “Of course Will! I want to be part of your family.”

“You are part of my family! You are like the sister I never had. I consider you my sister because you’re awesome. You like drawing just as much as me and you appreciate my pictures. Anyway, everyone is dressing up real fancy.”

“Oh,” Jane said softly as she bit into her chapped lips. The problem was that Jane only really owned old pairs of sweat pants and plain long sleeve shirts. Even though she wasn’t a cartoon, that didn’t stop Jane from wearing the same outfit almost every single day.

Since she didn’t get out much, Jane had only ever seen girls dressed up real fancy on the television set. Sure, Jane’s parents were social people, but they never took Jane anywhere. She was always trapped alone inside her dusty home. The only time she got a taste of sweet freedom was when she got on the bright yellow school bus. She loved the feeling of the impact of the pavement as her white Converse rested against the crackled pavement of Hawkins finest school. Unfortunately, the innocent girl had gotten used to the judgemental stares of the parents who had dropped their kids of in the parking lot nearby. She was _that_ kid with the shaved head; however, the only reason Jane had to sacrifice her famous locks was when she ended up getting lice. It spread like a nasty infection.

Jane thought her shaved head made her look like an iconic rock artist. She didn’t know much about rock music, but she knew that all the cool kids listened to it. Since she didn’t care much about other people’s thoughts and opinions, Jane believed that made her a true rock star. All she needed was a little eyeliner, but she knew she was far too young for that kind of thing; however, it didn’t stop Jane from trying to put it on when her mother was gone out. Like always, she was bored and needed something to do. Makeup was just like painting pictures with Will.

Will reassured Jane, “I am sure you have something pretty to wear!”

“I can be pretty,” Jane mumbled as she let the words swirl around in her mouth like bad tasting mouth wash.

Jane invited Will in, and he was sitting at the old table, tearing through the cereal box in hopes of finding treasure at the bottom, when he heard Jane’s light voice as she entered the room in a soft, pastel pink dress with a thick peter-pan collar.

“That's so pretty"

"My aunt got me this dress this year... I forgot I had it."

Will giggled as he looked down at Jane's feet, "What’s with the tube socks?” Will asked as he pulled the buried treasure out of the cardboard box.

“My legs get cold really fast.”

“I don’t blame you.”

“I like them anyway.”

“If you like something, that’s all that matters… Alright, so we can bike back to my place now if you're ready to go?”

Jane quickly nodded and gazed at the toy that was currently resting in Will’s tiny hands, “Are you trying to steal my prize?”

“No! I was trying to find it for you.”

“You can keep it. I already have that one in my collection.”

“I hate getting duplicates of toys. It sucks. It’s like getting the same present twice. Of course, my mom always makes me thank whoever got it for me.”

Jane smiled, “It’s always nice to be kind.” That’s the quality she admired most about Will. He had a heart that was made out of the finest gold.

“Words from a real superhero,” and Will truly believed it.

“All of the superheros I’ve heard about have always been kind. When people ask me what I want to be when I grow up, I am going to tell them that I want to be a superhero,” Jane was happy with this new-found revelation. “Now, since I am going to be a superhero, what do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I want to be like Hopper. I know that he isn’t necessarily a superhero. For me, he is everything a superhero can be. He cares about other people and always wants to protect them. I admire him for wanting to take care of my mom. I know that he is good for her.”

…

Bicycle tires spun as the children entered into the scene of the world. The tires hit the crackling gravel, which sounded like Rice Krispies in the morning, as a sea of dark green rushed into their view point. The sharp green leaves added texture to the vibrant morning as the glow of the sun heated up the environment.

Jane had a feeling in her gut that it was going to be a great day.

“What type of dress do you think your mother is going to wear?” Jane asked curiously. She knew that Joyce was going to look like a princess no matter what so wore. Hopper was her prince after all.

“She could wear anything, and Jim would still think she looks amazing. That’s because it’s true.” Will twisted his tires as he turned the sharp corner. He could already see his house in the distance.

“She isn’t just a princess, she's a queen,” Jane chimed in. “I’ve never met a queen before, but if I did, I’d imagine she’d be as cool as your mom is.”

“She is pretty great. I mean, my mom always packs me an extra cupcake in my lunch box.”

“But you never get to eat it!”

“That’s because Dustin is always taking my food! His mother even gives him an extra chocolate pudding, yet he still insists on taking my food! He has a never-ending stomach.”

“Is Dustin and Lucas coming as well?”

Will nodded, “Yes! Mom let me invite the entire group.”

Jane felt the warm breeze envelop her face, “Well... Hopper better put out extra food because Dustin is probably going to eat it all!”

“I bet he will eat all of the waffles.”

“Waffles are my favorite.”

“That’s why we always have a stack of them in the freezer.”

...

Will was met with his mother’s glowing face as he burst through the door. She literally looked like the sun in the morning sky. Hopper had his arms wrapped around her waist, and they were gently swaying to an old record. His hands moved down to Joyce's stomach because there was now a life inside of her. They were in love and the radiant warmth of the coffee only heightened their senses.

“Home already?” Hopper said as he kept a firm hold on the love of his life.

Will playfully rolled his eyes, “It’s not even seven o’clock yet, and where is the food? I thought we were having a big breakfast?”

“I thought I should treat you to breakfast at the diner across town. It has the best coffee in town.”

Joyce nuzzled her head into Hopper’s shoulder. He needed to shave but she liked the way his scruff brushed against the side of her pale face, “You deserve the best coffee in town Hop,”

As Joyce gazed up at Hopper, she just wanted to kiss his pink lips and plant love bits down the side of his neck. She loved the way the wrinkles by his eyes deepened when he smiled, and she loved the way his thick body felt against her own frame.

"Coffee doesn't matter when I have the best woman in town."

Joyce was in absolute bliss, “What did I do to deserve you?” Joyce turned, and her hazel-nut eyes were currently locked with Hopper’s deep-set ones.

“Absolutely everything.” Hopper mumbled in Joyce’s ear as he planted a firm kiss on Joyce’s lips. He couldn’t stop himself. Around Joyce, he lost all self-control.

“Children here!” Will jokingly interjected as he hid his eyes behind his hands.

“Your going to have to get use to it kid!" Hopper, always teasing. "Hello there Jane.” Hopper pronounced as he jokingly winked as Joyce, “I was slightly distracted. I apologize.”

“No need to apologize. Congratulations on your engagement!” Jane desperately hoped that was the right word. Was it engagement?

“Thank you so much dear.” Joyce beamed as she held onto Hopper, “If you don’t mind, can you two wake up Jonathan?”

And just like that, Will and Jane had snuck into Jonathan’s bedroom, already having a plan of attack, “Three, two, one!” Jane screamed as she and Will began to jump hysterically on top of the bed. Nothing could contain the two of them from laughing like a bunch of monkeys.

Jonathan practically flew out of bed, “What the hell?” He was caught half-way between sleep and reality? He suddenly felt as if he was caught in some kind of dream, “What’s going on? What is that sound? What time is it? Wait! Will? Is that you?”

“It’s the sound of us laughing.” Will screamed as he bounced up and down on the springy mattress.

Jane twirled in her soft dress. She reminded Will of a flower petal, “It’s also the sound of us having fun.”

“This is what true friendship sounds like!”

Jonathan rolled his eyes, “As if I would know what the sound of friendship sounds like. I literally have no friends. Gosh you can be so specific sometimes.”

“We’re your friends.” Jane said with a wide smile.

“Great. I am now friends with my little brother’s best friend because she pities me.”

“I’ve always been your friend Jonathan. My secrets out! Oh no!”

Will clapped his hands together, “We don’t pity you! How could anyone pity you when you are a _professional_ photographer?”

Will was just being cheeky now. Even though he liked to poke fun at his older brother, Will damn well knew that he was an excellent photographer. Jonathan was the only person who deserved to photograph his mother’s weeding. He always seemed to catch her with a real smile on her face, and now that Hopper was around, that was always the case.

Jonathan jokingly through a pillow at Will, “Enough! What is it? What do you guys want? Have you eaten too much sugary cereal already? You know how mom feels about that!”

“Jane did! I haven’t because Hopper is taking us out to eat for breakfast! A real breakfast and all my friends are coming with us! I am so excited! It’s going to be great! Get ready Jonathan because you are coming with us because we’re your friends!”

Jonathan smiled shyly, “Ok! Ok! Get out so I can get dressed!”

The two kids jumped off the bed, “Make sure to put on something nice!" Will smiled hard, "Maybe you will see a girl there! Maybe, just maybe, she will look good enough to talk to!”

…

The ringing of the bell marked their arrival.

“We’re here!” Dustin cried out as he raced down the hallway, towards the bubble gum machine, to the back of the old diner. He quickly twisted the handle, but he didn’t find what he was looking for, “Damn it!” Dustin said as he forcefully punched the machine, “I thought there was going to be a loose bubble gum, but I guess I was wrong! There goes all my hopes and dreams!”

“Seriously Dustin? You can’t even eat bubble gum! Why does it matter if there’s a free piece of stale candy left in a crappy, broken machine?!” Lucas was not impressed.

“Because I could have sold it to somebody and made some good money of it. My piggy bank is running dry and desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Lucas rolled his eyes for the hundredth time, “You can be so annoying sometimes!”

“I am far more advanced than you. I have the brain of an actual genius. Stop being jealous!”

“At least I know how to tie my own shoe laces! Let me know when you stop wearing Velcro!”

“Don’t make fun of my Velcro shoes! My mom says that they are way safer than laces because they cut of the blood flow to your feet! Plus, Velcro shoes have way cooler designs.”

“I don’t need designs on my shoes because I am mature.”

Dustin could barely keep calm, “So... you're telling me if Luke Skywalker wore shoes with designs, you would call him immature? Luke Skywalker is the most powerful Jedi in the entire galaxy. Plus, he’s the only person I would want teaching me how to use the force. He is that powerful. I only trust his knowledge.”

Lucas jokingly nudged Dustin. He had some seriously sharp elbows, “Wake-up! Luke Skywalker isn’t real! He’s just a character from some made up story!”

“How dare you deny Luke Skywalker’s existence! He’s going to travel here at any moment to teach you that the Jedi are real and that people can in fact move things with their minds!”

“Dustin, the day somebody moves something with their mind is the day I buy you every single bubble gum in that machine! Hell! I’ll buy you the entire machine!

“Oh yah? With what money?!” Dustin said as he stuck out his tongue.

The rest of the gang had already made their way into the booth at the corner of the diner. The sun was continuing to offer them it’s radiant warmth through the large windows. The turquoise colored diner was calm and refreshing and reflected the overall feeling of the tranquil atmosphere. After a few minutes, a familiar face greeted the crew.

His chocolate brown hair hung over his stunning eyes as he offered a devilish smile, “May I take your order!”

“Steve Harrington!” Hopper boomed as he reached his hand out towards the boy, allowing for him to shake it and nod towards the sheriff. “Staying out of trouble?!”

“Always am sir. At least when Billy Hargrove isn’t around. You really should be worried about the crime he is committing with that awful excuse of a hairstyle.”

The kids let out an echoing laugh, “Steve!” They all cried as the flung out of the booth.

“Mother!” Dustin cried as he attached himself to Steve Harrington’s leg, “Oh how I've missed you!”

Steve pulled of Dustin’s signature red, white, and blue baseball cap to pat him on the head, “Now what did I tell you about wearing your hat indoors now son? Do I have to speak to your father about this again?”

“I am so sorry mother. I didn’t mean to disobey you!”

“Steve?!” Will interjected. “Can you please take us to the ice cream?!”

Steve clicked the pen he was currently holding, “But it’s breakfast silly! You can’t have desert this early in the morning. Every parent has to provide their children with nutritional food.”

“But ice cream is made with milk or cream or whatever the hell it's made out of, and that’s healthy enough for me! Take us to the ice cream!” Dustin announced as he caught the looks of a few other people in the restaurant. Let’s be real, they were probably wishing their kid was as cute as Dustin. He in fact had a reputation for being adorable.

Steve turned his attention towards Joyce and Jim, “Is that ok with you guys?!” Steve asked as he stood with his hands placed on his hips.

Hopper's eyes crinkled, “Well... you’re their mother after all, but I say let them be kids! Go get them some ice cream, and please make sure to bring us back a sundae or a milkshake! A milkshake with two straws because that’s a romantic thing to do.”

As the kids raced towards the ice cream, Jane had just emerged from the bathroom, and she was now quickly analyzing the surroundings before her. Jane’s brain was always rotating like the gears of a clock. Dustin and Lucas were as loud as a fire alarm. Their high-pitched voices carried through the half empty diner as they fought over which ice cream flavour was far more superior than the other. As Jane let her brown eyes linger over the scene that was playing out before her, she caught sight of a boy with jet black hair. He was standing by himself in the corner of the diner. With in a matter of seconds, Jane become mesmerized by the other child. An electric current surrounded him.

His skin illuminated the shining light that was peaking in through an old pair of flowered curtains that hung gentle over the bright window. The boy's skin was as white as freshly fallen snowflakes and the splattered freckles that rested upon his nose added more character to his circular face. He swayed back and forth as he stood by the door. His old blue jeans had multiple rips at the knees, and Jane wondered if he had gotten them from playing soccer or maybe he had fallen during a game of tag. A thick checkered jacket hung over his bony shoulders as he kept his tiny hands in his never-ending pockets. As he looked up, his raven bangs fell over his droopy eyes as they met with Jane’s, and within that moment, Jane felt tiny butterfly’s take over the pit of her stomach; however, the boy looked incredibly startled, as if he had seen a ghost, and he quickly pulled on the door handle. Jane watched him disappear into the open horizon as her ears began to buzz with the rippling sounds of the bell. Jane quickly followed the mysterious boy into the never-ending world as the sun glistened against her pink cheeks. She squinted her tiny eyes as her eyelashes made a frame around her surroundings. A magnetic pull was luring her further and further into the distance. She no longer could see the smiling faces of Dustin, Lucas, Joyce, Hopper, and Steve as the scene continued to play on.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to spook you!” Jane's voice echoed through the parking lot, but the boy kept running towards the greenery, and his shoes were now collecting fresh mud at the toes.

Something about this young boy lit the circuits in Jane’s brain. She could fell an electrical current racing through her tiny body. Jane couldn’t explain it, but sometimes, when she was asleep, she could feel a force field of energy around her. It was a feeling that she couldn’t possibly explain. It was as if she had another sense, but she knew things like that weren’t possible. Sometimes when she reached out her hand, she felt as if she could _almost_ move the objects around her without even touching them; however, when she tried to release this strange feeling inside of her body, the feeling that lived in her brain, nothing would ever happen.

Jane felt the same energy _now_ , around _this_ boy. That’s why she was following him. It was hard to explain, but she knew that the energy was making her do so. She didn’t truly know _why_ she was chasing him, but she just knew that she had to catch up to him. Jane could feel the thick, twisting roots of the trees beneath the souls of her feet as she dodged those death traps. As she came closer to the boy, she felt her body jerk forward as she lost her contact with the earth below.

Jane let out a ragging scream as her body flew towards a razor-sharp, broken piece of metal fencing. Jane shut her eyes as she braced for the bloody impact, but as Jane opened her eyes, she saw the mysterious boy in front of her; however, he was standing on the ground while Jane’s famous white Converse hung in the air.

Dark red blood dripped out of the left side of his nose.


	2. A Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something is drawing Jane towards this boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying their day. Anyway, I listened to the Stranger Things mix when I wrote this.

Jane felt her feet softly touch the surface of the ground.

“Why did you follow me?” The freckled boy demanded.

Jane could barley talk. She felt as if her heart was inside of her throat. Her legs had become dead weights underneath her and the sudden contact with the ground was starting to make her feel dizzy and slightly nauseous. What just happened? Jane tried to adjust her brain in order for her thoughts to get back on track, but it was incredibly difficult when her mind was a reckless hurricane.

Jane’s petite body sunk down to the earth below as her nail beds sunk into the wet earth. She was no longer near the sharp metal fence. No, she was now halfway across from where the deadly fence was. Jane felt mud envelop her knees as she lifted her head towards the bright blue sky. She inhaled in order to ingest a large amount of air into her hot, burning lungs.

“How did you do that?” Jane squealed as she tried to catch her breath. “How was I in the air? How did you do that!”

“Answer my question first!”

Jane paused for a moment because she didn’t really know what to say to the young boy. Yes, she followed him; however, did she really have a reason to justify her actions? Her reasoning wasn’t based on logic; her reasoning was based on the feeling that had just held her captive moments prior. That feeling was very much alive in both the freckled boy and the girl in the soft pink dress.

Jane’s voice shook, “I don’t know… I just did!”

“Well you should have been minding your own business! If you wouldn’t have followed me, you wouldn’t have almost died by falling on that metal fence!” The boy knew he was being disrespectful by raising his voice, but he knew he had to get his point across.

“Why did you stop me from hurting myself?" Jane's face winked in confusion. "If you were upset with me for following you, why didn’t you just let me fall?”

“I wouldn’t have wanted you to get hurt.” The freckled boy said as he stared at the girl who was in front of him. He didn’t understand why she was looking at him with such interest, “I saved you from hurting yourself. It’s not that big of a deal. It’s what anyone would have done.” The dark haired raven boy explained as he narrowed his chocolate eyes. He was trying to process what he was _feeling_ around her.

The mysterious boy had been honest with her, so Jane was going to be honest with him. Jane twisted her pink lips. “I followed you because you ran out of the diner so fast, and I was curious. I didn’t know why you looked so scared. I wanted to know why you started to run away from me when I made eye contact with you.”

The freckled boy blinked a couple of times, “It was the feeling that I could feel around you. That is what made me run.”

Jane felt a lump the size of a golf ball form in her throat. So, they both could feel _that_ feeling. It was the indescribable feeling that she could no longer hold onto. The electrical current raced through her mind and body everyday. It flooded her brain and held her captivated. She felt it buzzing in the atmosphere enveloping her.

“I can feel it around you.” Jane said as she looked up and began to focus on the scarlet flowing out of the boy’s nose, “I know what feeling you’re talking about. It was the feeling that led me outside. It led me here. I had a feeling that something was going to happen today.”

The boy didn’t know how to react to this honest confession. This girl was just like him. He could feel it in the air. She _had_ to be just like him. The raven boy had never met another girl with powers before, but again, not too many people had powers. He had only met two others who had possessed such special gifts. The girl before him had an incredibly nervous look on her face. Was she scared of him after he had lifted her off the ground with his mind? No, she seemed more curious. Had she not been exposed to a power like this before? Had her powers not come yet? He knew that it could be a lot to take in.

“What’s your name?” The boy demanded quickly.

“My name is Jane.” She whispered.

The boy crinkled his forehead, “So you are a _girl_?”

Jane felt her face flush slightly, “Yes I am.”

“I’ve never met a girl with a shaved head before. I think it looks pretty cool if you ask me.”

Jane didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t upset about the boy commenting on her hair; that was the least of her concerns. Maybe this boy could give her some answers about what she was feeling. Jane knew that she could never talk to her parents about what had just happened. She knew that if she told Dustin or Lucas, they would never believe her, well, Dustin would probably believe her. He would assume that this boy was a Jedi apprentice of Luke Skywalker and that Jane was now on the path to becoming a Padawan.

“I’ve never met a boy who could make somebody else fly.”

“My name’s Mike, and I technically didn’t make you fly. I just held you up in the air and moved you to another location.”

“How?”

Mike brought the sleeve of his checkered jacket up to wipe the hot blood away from his nose, “I don’t know how to explain it. I just moved you using my mind.”

“Did this have to do with the feeling in the air?”

“You have it too.” Mike whispered so softly that the universe was probably oblivious to the words that had just slipped off of his tongue.

“Have what?” Jane’s eyes widened.

“Powers. If you could sense that I have powers, that feeling, you must have them. I don’t know what powers you have, but you have them. That’s why we were brought together. This has happened with two other kids before, but we can’t stay together in one spot for too long or else _they_ will know, and _they_ will find us! You have to leave now!”

Jane felt her heart rate skip a beat, “I don’t have powers. If I did, I would be able to use them. I can’t do anything special!”

“Are you even listening to what I am saying? We can’t stay together for too long or else they will sense us.” Mike howled. “Listen, go back into the diner and never come near me again. It’s too dangerous if we are together.”

And just like that, the raven boy dashed off into the distance as his feet left a fresh line of tracks in the muck. Jane didn’t know what to do or what to say. The feeling in the atmosphere had disappeared, and she no longer had the same urge to follow the boy. Jane stood on her thin legs as mud begun to drip down the side of her calf's. Jane wiped her mucky hands all over her dress as she made her way back into the diner. Her legs wobbled under her because she was frightened. She didn’t know what to make of the exchange that had just happened. Who was this boy? What was this about other kids with powers? What was this about her having her own powers?

Jane’s ears buzzed as she walked back into the brightly lit diner. Too bright. Her ears decided to block out the various sounds of people chatting, waiters pouring coffee, and the beat of the music over the speakers. Jane had returned, but her mind was in a completely different place.

With the shutting of her eyes, Jane was transported and greeted by sudden black darkness; however, it wasn’t a normal kind of darkness.

“Jane.” She heard a muffled voice call out to her.

Jane tried to open her eyes, but she couldn’t. In that moment, unable to move, she was paralyzed with fear. They were glued shut and the voice was starting to become louder and more intense as it echoed in her ear drums like the strings of a bass guitar.

Joyce had looked up from the booth and had caught Jane standing by the drafty door with her eyes shut. The child was frozen in her spot like a tableau. Within a few seconds, Joyce got out of the booth and had made her way to where Jane was currently standing. She had no idea why she was covered in mud. Joyce knew that she had been in the bathroom, but did she end up going outside? Did she end up falling? What had happened? This was the mother in her talking.

“Jane, Sweetheart? What happened to you? What’s the matter?” Joyce waited for Jane’s response, but she said nothing. She just stood there with her eyes sealed- shut. “Jane? Is something wrong?”

Jane felt her eyes search out for her surroundings. She wanted to scream as loud as she possibly could. She was in a trance and the only thing she could hear was the voice of the boy who had just talked to her moments prior. He had run off into the forest and now she could hear his voice in her own mind. This wasn't real. He was gone. He ran away from her, and Jane was now standing in the diner with her friends.

“Jane. I know you can hear my voice, and I know that we can’t be together, in the same spot, but we can talk like this. You can talk to me. Listen, try using your powers and try focusing.”

Jane turned around and saw Mike standing in front of her. “Where… Where am I!” Jane screamed as she started to back away. “Where am I!” Jane could feel the salty tears overflowing out of her wide eyes.

“You are safe Jane! Your powers brought you here. You're safe here." The boy pleaded "There’s no reason to be afraid. Just listen to me! Your powers are starting to become stronger. They are starting to unlock! You just need to accept it and let it in!”

Jane wasn’t listening. She was terrified and out of her mind. She was just in the diner and now all she could see was total darkness, “I want to go home!” Jane cried. “I want to go home!”

The veins in her forehead become prominent.

“Jane!” She heard another voice echoing from a different place. “What’s wrong, Jane?! I am right here honey! It’s going to be ok!”

“Check your pocket!” Mike called out, but his voice was starting to fade away and as Jane stepped backwards, his appearance become cloudy and she lost focus.

“Jane!” Joyce cried out.

Jane snapped back to reality.

As her brown eyes opened, all the lights in the diner flickered off. Dustin, Will, Lucas, Steve, Jonathan, and Hopper had rushed over to Jane’s side. Terrified expressions painted their faces. Jane’s bold cries echoed throughout the diner. Joyce wrapped her strong arms around the small child as raging red blood slowly poured out of her nose.

“What happened!” Hopper said as he bent down slowly, “Did somebody hurt you?!” His eye's had gone wild. Nobody hurt Jane.

Jane shook her head in fear, “I just want to go home!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really excited about this fic. I am starting to come up with some really cool ideas.
> 
> I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions so far! (In the comments!)


	3. A Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A camping trip and new people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that took a while didn't it? To everyone who waited, thank you so much! I am glad to announce that I am collaborating with my best friend, Gabrielle, to write this story. Within the past couple of months, we have been planning a really exciting story for you. I just graduated from College, and while I'm looking for another job, I will now have some extra time to write. I had to focus on my last year of school, hence the delay of this fic. Anyway, Gabrielle and I sat down at Starbucks and wrote out what we are going to do for this story, and we planned almost everything. This chapter was written by her. Hope you all enjoy. xoxo Maddi
> 
> Also, the tags have been updated to add new characters and more details.

It was a cool morning, but even with just the sun peaking out, it was vibrant, promising a nice afternoon. Despite the time, Hopper was almost done loading up the car, and the boys were already waiting outside the Byers’ house with their backpacks ready to go. Joyce was on the porch huddled with a cup of coffee and an arm around Jonathan, a content smile tugging at her lips. When Hopper finally finished tying the rope to keep the canoe in place, he gave himself a moment to take a breath before calling out to Will who was in turn watching Dustin and Lucas tackling each other. The energy of youth.

“Will, we’re about to head out, are you sure Jane doesn’t want to come?” Hopper yelled. He closed the trunk of the car and then headed to the driver’s seat.

“She’s not feeling very well, so she’s going to stay home and sleep in,” Will answered. Along with his friends, he shouldered his backpack and made his way to the car. As he was about to enter, Joyce pulled her son back to place a kiss against his cheek, careful not to spill the ambrosia. The other boys laughed at Will, causing him to blush faintly, but he still smiled knowing there was no animosity.

Hopper patted Jonathan on the back in way of goodbye and then went to kiss Joyce softly against the lips. They smiled into the kiss and stayed a little longer to continue embarrassing the boys, but they couldn’t help but pull away due to their laughter. Joyce handed her fiance a travel mug that was warm to the touch and kissed him on the cheek. The boys banged against the seats of the car as they pulled away from the house, Joyce watching them with her own mug against her lips.

There were games of I spy and twenty questions, though the boys soon settled into boredom as the length of the ride mixed with the early hour. By the time Hopper pulled up to his cabin, it was just passed six, and the only kid still awake was Will, who was scribbling in his notebook. By the look in his eye, he was clearly lost in his world; Hopper would never get used to this sort of intensity.

Slamming the door shut after himself seemed to rouse the kids, and they were quick to get up now that they were surrounded by trees and dirt. Will followed behind his friends, careful to pack his notebook away. They ran into the cabin to go explore the shack, but just as Hopper was carrying a load in, they sped past him.

“You can help bring in the food, you know,” Hopper hollered but he wasn’t surprised when it was ignored.

When they finally made it to the river, after setting up the cabin for the night, they realized they weren’t alone in the woods. The river wasn’t on private property, but it was far enough from the lake and close enough to Hopper’s cabin that it was usually free of any guests. The closer they got, they managed to make out a girl their age arguing with an older boy. Once the strangers noticed the company, they immediately stopped yelling and simply glared at one another with mute disapproval.

Hopper went ahead of the kids, who seemed to be watching the girl with curiosity, to introduce himself. The boy, didn’t shake his hand, instead inhaled from his cigarette, until the girl elbowed her brother in the side.

“What are you kids doing out here by yourselves?” Hopper hooked his thumbs into his belt and seemed to relax though he was always alert (when you’re not careful-).

“We’re new to town,” the girl answered.

“Parents wanted us out of the house while they moved in,” Billy continued.

“I’m Max, that idiot is Billy.” The boy didn’t seem to even flinch at the introduction, he simply focused on his smoke.

“Oh, well this is Lucas, Dustin, and this boy here is Will,” he patted Will’s shoulder, causing Will to shift awkwardly under the hold. “Everyone in town calls me Hopper.”

The boys waved to Max over the discussion, and in return she gave them a kind smile. The two groups stared at each other for a moment, before Hopper released a breath and offered an invitation, “we have lots of food and supplies if you want to join us. Looks like you haven’t had much luck with the fish yet.”

“We just got here,” Billy said, and for the first time, he seemed slightly defensive.

“Well, come on boys, and Max, might as well get to it before it’s too hot.”

With that, Hopper grabbed one of the fishing rods and started to open the bait. Will felt ill when the smell hit him and his head swam. Closing his eyes tightly, he took a few deep breaths, but he still felt sick with the thumping against his forehead.

He tried, Will always tried, but after a few minutes, he all but threw his gear against the ground and left. The bank of the pond was covered in pine needles and leaves, so he slipped going up the slope to the denser forest. He didn’t look back, though, until the screaming in his head calmed down to a dull thud.

From the corner of her eye, Max saw Will run. There was no question that he looked distraught, but after nodding in his direction for Billy to notice, she turned back to the other two boys and said, “I’ve been stuck with Billy for weeks, so you guys better be cool to make up for it.” She could distract them for a bit.

Billy had a few minutes to spare with the sheriff focused on his work, so Billy got up, wiped at his jeans with a grumble, and turned towards the trees. He was about to duck into the woods until he saw the kid with the hat-Dustin, nothing else, his brain supplied like a memorized list- almost impale his finger. Dustin sighed heavily like the world was on his shoulders before marching over the young teens. He snatched the hook away as he crouched by Dustin’s side.

“If you’re not careful, you’re going to stab yourself,” Billy said, “you just slide it on, don’t squish it.” Billy demonstrated it before tossing the hook back to the boy. “You’re dad never taught you how to fish?”

Dustin looked at the squirming worm sheepishly. “Dad left a while ago, haven’t seen him since I was a baby.” Billy internally groaned and swore at himself.

“Dads aren’t always what you need. You’re lucky your daddy left before he hurt your more. You still have your mom? There you go, then. You don’t need anybody else.” Billy didn’t even wait for a reply before he turned on his heels in search for Will.

“What’s your brother’s deal?” Dustin looked at Max who was already casting her line. She simply shrugged.

*

Will kept walking and held his head. He was shaking when he saw a pair of boots in front of him. Will hated those shoes. His head always hurt more when they turned up.

“Do you trust them?” Mike asked and Will didn’t have to look up to see the direction Mike nodded towards to know who he was talking about. The words swam in his head and some seemed to bang against the cage that was his skull -no no, quiet, not now- while others simply hissed.

Mike didn’t wait for a reply, Will was always so easy to read, and simply continued himself, “but you want to. You like them, already. Be careful, Will. Not everyone is who you want them to be.”

“Why shouldn’t I trust them?”

“One day you’ll be able to make out what you hear.” It almost sounded simple, but the hissing was getting louder and felt like both a crushing weight against his temples and a pressure to burst his skull. Mike looked at the other boy, and not for the first time, wished things might have been different. Maybe there was a world where they were friends, but in this one, Mike remembered to simply say, “remember to breath. It’ll get easier.”

Will followed the directions and let his breathing relax his body. His eyes fluttered shut after a few moments but never quite closed with his mind racing. When the pounding in his head soothed -it’s never quiet, no, no, stop- he let himself properly look at Mike. He didn’t look hungry this time, and he didn’t look too pale, but he still looked tired, maybe the same way Will felt after gym class.

“Why should I listen to you?” Will knew he just had to, and he could almost hear Mike’s smirk. It almost sounded sad.

“You don’t have to like someone to trust them.”

Then there was crackling in the trees as someone pushed past the brush and stepped on the fallen branches. Will heard his name so he turned towards the noise to see Hopper struggling through a particularly knotted patch. When Will turned back, Mike was already gone.

Instead of letting Hopper suffer, Will went to go greet the sheriff, but in return, he was grabbed by the shoulders.

“Will! Where were you?” Hopper yelled. “We were looking for you, you can’t just disappear like that! Damn it!”

“I-,” Will swallowed, “I was just looking around. I thought it was okay.”

“What if you got hurt and no one could hear you? You can’t be so reckless, Will.” The pressure on the boy’s shoulders tightened and he could feel Hopper’s fingers dig into his skin.

“Let go, you’re- you’re hurting me!” Will struggled in the grasp, and when he was finally released, he took a step back unconsciously. He rubbed the still throbbing area and avoided the other’s eyes.

“Oh damn,” Hopper swore into his hand, “I’m- I didn’t mean to do that. Shit, are you okay?”

It was still sore, but Will stopped messaging his shoulders and sighed, “yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay, well, that’s uh good.” Hopper seemed flustered, a look Will didn’t like, “come on, let’s go back. The others are going to be worried. Just don’t do that again, alright?”

“Yeah,” Will agreed.

Hiding behind a particularly thick tree trunk, Billy watched Will be pulled away by Hopper, instead of seeing where Mike had disappeared to. His fists were so tight he would have drawn blood if his nails were longer (he knew to keep them short, this way you didn’t have to explain anything). After a few minutes of letting the pain wash over him, he could no longer hear anything but the birds chirping, so he turned sharply and pushed the trunk. It stung and his anger only seemed to sky rocket, so he grabbed the bark and continued to breath slowly. When he saw less red, he tightened his fists one last time before trekking back to his sister.

*

Lunch seemed to come by slowly, and it was long past by the time the kids had given up and decided to pull out their comics to show Max. Hopper was glad Joyce had convinced him to bring hot dogs instead of depending on their haul. It seemed they wouldn’t have enough to feed themselves even if they fished all week. He was just turning over the hot dogs on the makeshift grill he had brought over to the campfire, when he turned to Billy who was lounging against a log and nursing a beer. Hopper grunted to get Billy’s attention.

“Hey, how old are you kid?” Billy raised his eyebrow in disapproval.

“Why, you the cops?”

Hopper crossed his arms as he answered, “yes, actually.” Instead of creating the look of fear in the teen’s eyes Hopper was hoping for, he was met with a loud laugh.

“Well shit,” Billy laughed as he threw back the rest of the bottle. “I couldn’t let it go to waste,” he said in response to Hopper’s unimpressed eyebrow, “but I won’t drink in your company if it makes you feel better.”

Hopper didn’t dignify that with a response and instead continued on with his meal. Billy watched Hopper for a moment before smirking. Another asshole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is certainly going places! We are both so excited. As always, thanks for reading. We would love any comments or feedback you all have! Thanks again!


	4. A New Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hopper has to control this issue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here is another chapter. This story is going to deal a bit with alcoholism. I made sure to update the tags and rating just so everyone is aware. Also, Hopper isn't going to be a villain or an abuser in this story in case anyone is worried about us going in that direction. He has a totally different problem, and he needs help.
> 
> Gab and I wrote this one together.

It was strange.

Within the past couple of days, the atmosphere of Hawkins’s had shifted ever so slightly. At first glance, it wasn’t noticeable; however, if you glanced long enough, you could begin to pick up on the shift in character.

It all had begun with Jane.

On any other given school day, the ride to the brick fortress was full of never ending laughter which usually revolved around one of Dustin’s lame jokes. Hopper usually filled the car with some old vintage rock song. He swore his music was way better than whatever the kids were listening to these days. The frantic rush of the morning was always worth the long journey to school. The car was the place where the kid’s fears about being liked or fitting in went away. The car was a vessel that protected them from the cruelty that came from the outside world.

Today was different. Nobody laughed, nobody smiled. The annoying static of the radio would have been better than the uncomfortable silence that possessed the car.

“Jane… is everything ok?” Will whispered as he turned his head slowly.

Jane had her head pressed against the cold window. She let her index finger trace along one of the water droplets. It was currently dancing along the side of the glass. She slowly sat up straight, without looking at Will, and nodded her head without meeting his eyes.

Something about Jane had changed. It was as if the voices around her had faded within the past day. Will tried to search for her thoughts, but he couldn’t focus. It was as if she had closed herself off to him without even trying to do so…

Hopper glanced into the rear-view mirror and frowned at the melancholic faces in the back of the car. “You guys are seriously starting to make me sad. What’s with the faces?”

Will pressed his lips together hard, keeping himself from saying anything allowed.

Jane wasn’t in the mood for talking.

Hopper waited for a reply, but no words ever came his way. He let out a sigh and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

“I’m guessing you both didn’t get enough sugary cereal for breakfast. How about, if you guys are up for it, we can go get some ice cream after school. Doesn’t that sound like fun? I know how much you both love ice cream."

Again, no comment was made, so Hopper left the two children to dwell in the silence that was lingering between them. He was hoping that whatever was going on with them both would surpass by the evening.

-

“Good morning Chief!” Beth, the new secretary, called out from her desk.

Hopper gave her a polite smile as he made his way into his office and closed the door slightly behind him. Hopper sunk into his chair and immediately put his head onto the distressed desk. He was definitely not ready for another day at the office. Hopper’s eyes lingered towards the bottom of his desk. He knew it was far too early, but he didn’t care. Hopper pulled the tiny drawer of the wooden desk open and grabbed a small flask that was hidden under a pile of old newspaper clippings. Hopper felt the cold metal against his thick hands as he slowly undid the cap. Within a matter of seconds, he felt the silky liquid flow down his esophagus. He felt the burning flames in the pit of his stomach.

“Hopper!” Beth called out as the clicking of her heels drew towards the door.

“Shit!” Hopper hissed as he quickly tossed the flask into the drawer, slamming it shut with his right foot. “Did you ever learn how to knock?”

Beth gave Hopper a disapproving look as she made her way into his mess of an office. Police reports were already piled up on his desk. “Did your mother ever teach you to clean up after yourself?”

Hopper laughed softly, “She did, however, I am not really good at it.”

“Well, you are going to have to set a good example for your student.”

“Student?” Hopper said with a look of confusion as he took a bite of an old raspberry doughnut had been in his office for God knows how long. Beth watched in disappointment as a pile of crumbs had coated Hopper’s uniform. Before Hopper could take another bite, Beth had grabbed the sugary delight out of his hand.

“Your waistline isn’t getting any smaller Jim.”

“Very funny.” Hopper spewed as he leaned back in his chair, “Now, what is this about a student?”

“Well, if you were actually working instead of eating and worrying about whether or not the coffee machine is working at full capacity, you would have come across a file of a student who wanted to do their placement here, and since you have been a bit off lately, I took care of it myself. He should be here in approximately-” Beth paused to look down at her antique watch. “Five-minutes.”

Hopper practically flew out of his seat, “Shit!" He paused for a brief moment, trying to collect his words. "So, your telling me I am going to have to supervise some kid... A kid who probably thinks policing is going to be all fun and games?! You didn’t even ask for my permission!”

Beth had a sly smile plastered across her face, “I thought it would do you some good. Plus, you haven’t been yourself recently. I thought this would help you get back-on-track to making some real changes. Maybe, motivate you to actually start working again? People out there need you right now.”

“When he gets here, let him in.” Hopper said as he rubbed his eyes. He definitely wasn’t in the mood for this.

When the clock hit a quarter-past-eight, Beth had bursted into Jim’s office. “Jim! He’s here!”

Hopper was too occupied with trying to clean up his mess of an office. “Just let him in!” Hopper yelled.

Hopper quickly made his way back to his desk. He was really starting to wish that he took Joyce’s advice in cleaning up after himself. Hopper slumped down into his chair again. He was practically out of breath from all the heavy lifting. As Hopper quickly rummaged through the files on his desk, in hopes of finding the student's file, he was greeted by a familiar voice.

“If it isn’t the chief himself.”

Hopper looked up slowly and felt his mouth slightly drop.

“I’ll leave you two to get to know each other.” Beth said with a smile as she ushered the student forward. She quickly made her way out of the office.

“What the hell are you doing here!” Hopper hissed.

Billy shot Hopper once of his famous smiles, “It looks like I am going to have some fun here. Aren’t I?”

“Nope! No, no, no! This is not happening.”

“Why Sir? Don’t like me already?”

“I don’t like entitled brats. People who think that the law doesn’t apply to them.”

Billy had made his way over to Hopper’s desk and grabbed a cigarette out of the faded box which was lying on the side of his desk.

“Thought you were fine with it all the other day. Guess your scared I am going to mess up your whole power complex thing you got going.”

Hopper crossed his arms, “Nope! Not at all actually.”

“Is it because I saw what happened in the forest?”

Hopper furrowed his brows, “What the hell are you talking about!?”

Billy leaned back in the chair that was half hazardly tossed in front of the desk and watched Hopper glare him down. It wasn’t until he let out an exhale, the smoke dancing around his eyes, that he said anything else, “I’m not surprised you were the first to find that boy - it’s Will, right? You’re chief and you know those woods better than anyone else. The thing is, I always have to find my sister whenever she runs away so I’m not too bad at tracking myself. And, don’t get me wrong, I usually don’t care about kids, but when I recognized my eyes in that kid’s, I got a little mad.”

“What exactly are you accusing me of here, Billy?” Hopper’s look could kill, but Billy just grinned around his cigarette.

“Nothing, nothing. Just letting you know that I know what abuse looks like, and if I ever see that kid with a bruise, you should know that I can use a gun.”

Hopper immediately stood up, his chair rattling backwards on it’s crooked wheels. He stared down Billy with so much anger, but the teenager just looked up and met the gaze.

“I don’t know who you think you are, but I would never hurt Will. He’s a son to me and I love him.”

“My dad used to say all that crap too, until he realized no one was listening.” Billy stood up before Hopper had a chance to yell at him to leave. “I saw the way he was surprised too, so you still have a chance. He seemed to think you were alright, so maybe it was supposed to be a little shake. If you want to avoid those fingerprints on his arm I suggest starting by getting rid of the booze in your drawer.”

Billy was already leaving, and when he had his hand on the doorknob he added, “yeah, I could smell it on your breath. It’s a little strong for the morning, don’t you think, chief?” Then the boy was calling out to Beth about helping her sort through the files.

Hopper was still shaking when he let himself slowly sink back into his chair a few minutes after. He was gripping his armrests so tight his knuckles were white, but it didn’t stop him from reaching into the drawer in search for the liquor. He examined the flask and he could feel his mouth start to water. Next thing he knew he was throwing it into the garbage and kicking the bin across the room. It was almost full, Beth would take it out tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. 
> 
> Any comments or feedback is great.


	5. Bird's-eye view

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike needs help.
> 
> (I'm bad at summarizing chapters... as you can probably tell)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is doing well! In other news, I went on a really nice drive today. I always love looking at the trees while I'm listening to music... pretending to be in a music video. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Short but sweet... maybe.

The smell of fresh firewood hung in the air as Mike allowed his heavy feet to drag along behind him. The soles of his shoes were meant with various shaped pebbles that were currently scattered along the ground. Mike picked up one of the pebbles in his hands and traced his fingertips across the smooth surface. He shoved it into his pocket. It would probably come in handy later.

Mike took in every aspect of the scattered evergreen forest. His body was starting to become a dead weight, and he felt the sudden urge to fall onto his knees; however, his knees were already in rough shape after escaping his captives. Mike felt the saliva glands in his mouth activate as he thought of a variety of luxurious foods that he would probably never eat again. He was so close when he was in the dinner. He could have just grabbed a fluffy blueberry muffin and made a run for it. Well, he had done that but without the muffin. 

Mike gave into his tiredness as he rested his bony back against a wooden tree trunk. He sunk down to be at the Earth’s level. He allowed his fingers to intertwine with a pile of crusted, dirty leaves. For the first time in months, Mike felt his eyes fill up, but he shook his head in an urge to fight another battle. He had been so strong for so long; however, as the night was moving in, he was starting to feel the emotional weight of the situation he had been stuck in for what seemed like an eternity.

Mike wished he could be like the other young boys. He would have gave everything he had in order to be just normal, even if for one single day. Sure, being special had its perks and all. Hell, not every kid could move a plastic spaceship, or rocks for that matter, with their own mind. Mike could do miraculous ‘miracles’ without a second thought or even the blink of an eyelash, but it still would have been easier to be normal, to blend into the sea of the ordinary. It was hard not to stand out in a world that was designed to shame people for their differences.

Mike burrowed his head into his shaking hands. The setting sun cast a glimpse of hope into his hallow eyes, too deep for a young boy. Mike hated the familiar blanket of darkness that would follow such a beauty; however, he let the sparking flickers of yellow linger where they were suppose to be. Mike allowed the sun to envelope him in it's own warmth, but it was no use. His skinny legs were already starting to shake beside one another. 

“Have you seen where he ran off to?” A voice lingered in the far distance. 

Mike shot up quickly, completely ignoring the fact that his legs could potentially snap at any given moment. 

Once again, they had found him.

Mike’s fight-or-flight response quickly became activated. It was becoming harder and harder to fight the people that were after him. His choices were starting to become more irrational by the day, perhaps the hour. He was getting weaker and just plain sick of running. The only strength he had gained was a few days prior, when he had found another just like him. Just being in the girl’s company had sharpened his senses like iron. The girl in the flower petaled dress. If only he could be around her once more. Things would be different, but they had too much technology. They were starting to track kids with powers down, as if they were some kind of untamed animal that needed to be tamed, to be locked away forever.

Mike felt as if he had an obligation to warn these kids of the coming destruction. He was going to be the ring leader because he knew exactly what was going on in this god forsaken town, perhaps too much for his own well being.

It wouldn’t be easy, but he had to warn them all. 

“He has to be close by.” A different voice replied.

The voice was definitely unfamiliar?

Mike heard the familiar sound of the tracking devices in the distance. Mike buried his hands in his pockets for a moment and quickly pulled out a pair of black binoculars. He desperately peered through the lenses as he tried to make out the silhouette of this person. 

“Damn it!” Mike mumbled.

Mike needed to know what this man looked like, because if another person was on his trail, he had to be aware of it. Mike grabbed onto the branch that was just above his head. He extended his left arm as he held onto the tree with his right arm. Mike swung his body towards the left and allowed for his feet to come into contact with the bark. He pulled his body up with the little strength he had left and proceeded to climb further up the tree, even though the sharp branches were digging into his flesh.

Mike perched himself on the highest branch like a superior bird examining his prey below. Mike blinked a couple of times, allowing for his eyes to adjust to the best of their abilities. He gazed through the clear lenses once more. Mike turned his head to the right ever so slowly since he had heard the man murmur something again. He squinted, and sure enough, he made out a boy who looked like he was roughly... eighteen? Mike was terrible with ages. He knew he looked old enough to be a high school student. Mike noted that he had golden blonde hair that fell just above his shoulders. A pair of leather gloves came in contact with the boy's shoulder. The white haired man peered down at the golden boy in disapproval.

“I thought you were getting closer. You are starting to disappoint me.”

The golden boy pressed his lips together. He was ready to drop dead. Mike could sense his fear from the highest of altitudes. 

“How many times do I have to tell you? I got a position with the Chief.”

“And does he suspect anything?” The man in the black gloves said sharply.  


“He suspects that I’m an asshole.”

“It’s hard not to notice.”

“Yah, but he’s too busy trying to look for a good opportunity to have a drink without anyone noticing.”

“Use his weaknesses to take him down.”

“Already ahead of you. I mean, aren’t I always?” The boy's voice was oozing with cockiness. 

Mike felt his heart rate pick up when he noticed a flash of red appear beside the boy.

“It’s good to have your sister on our little team.” The man said as he smirked at the girl who was currently before him.”

"She's not my sister."

“I’ve always been on your team.” The fiery red head spewed.

“Good... because your first official assignment starts tomorrow.” The man stated as he handed the girl a bracelet.

Mike pressed his left hand against the tree as he felt his lungs deflate of all air. This is why he never trusted anyone. Mike wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. He wanted them to burn. Will was now in danger. Mike felt his rage and anger take hold of him. That was the sign. He had to warn Will and find that girl.

As quickly as possible, Mike started to lower himself down to the ground, and that was when he heard the noise. Mike felt his weight suddenly shift as the snapping noise possessed his ears. He definitely didn’t like the sound of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it. This story is about to blast off!
> 
> Comments, thoughts, and feedback are all appreciated.
> 
> xo


	6. Out in the Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Powers can be deadly.
> 
> (Another terrible summary. My bad.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,
> 
> First of all, I am terribly sorry for being like... the worst to update... like of... all time. I think I seriously am. I love writing with like everything in me, but I find it so hard to sit down and actually write. Everything always looks better in my head or flows better. Idk. Anyway, hope you all had a great summer and are doing well with school. This is the first year that I don't have school. It's so weird being done. I am now job hunting again. It's weird not having a job as well. I miss my job. I really hope I find a new one... in my field. Anyway, I have been listening to The 1975 a lot. Gosh, I love Matty Healy so much. Pretty addicted to music. Always helps with the creative flow... I hope I have one... but sometimes I don't think so lol. 
> 
> Anyway, enough of me rambling as usual. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Mike’s body was now encased in a layer of thick brown mud. He let out a whimper as he pressed his soft fingers against the sides of his temples. Mike pressed his lips together to keep himself from letting out an agonizing cry. A sharp pain violently shot through Mike’s leg which only caused his body to tremble in pain and fear. He felt his toes jolt in a response to the pain. Mike had no idea how the hell he still had feeling in his legs.

“What the hell was that?” Billy had said as he turned his body in the direction he had heard the sound from.

The man in the gloves slowly lifted a finger and pointed towards Max, “Please take care of _that_.”

 _Shit_ was the only word that was currently racing through Mike’s broken brain. No matter how far he ran, he always ended up in the same situation. It was like being stuck in a maze with the same outcome. It didn't matter what path you ended up going down.

The redhead spewed into the direction of the sound. Her hair flew in the air like wildfire as she left her sparks though the twisting forestry. Within moments, she was enclosed by the evergreen. The woods always seemed alarming at night, but she knew she had nothing to be afraid of. Max scanned the area carefully, as if she was a vulture.

At this time, Mike had begun to lift his battered body off the ground; however, he immediately stopped himself when he felt a shift in the air. The forces surrounding him were no longer flowing directly around him.

“I know you’re here.” The girl said in a voice coated in fury. “You can’t hide from me.”

Mike suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline race through his body. A bead of sweat had begun to mix with the scarlet that was currently dripping down towards his neck. Just as Mike was almost fully off the ground, he felt another wave of pain strike him; however, the pain was now in his ribs. Mike’s scream erupted from the inside of his throat. He quickly brought up one of his shaking hands to cover his mouth.

“Are you purposely trying to give yourself away? Clearly you aren’t good at hiding.”

Mike pushed his body forward in an attempt to run. His shoes skid against the edged tree roots that possessed the ground. Mike pushed his body past the limits as he ducked and dodged between the narrowing trees. Mike’s lungs burned in agony, but he knew that if he got caught, there was no hope in him ever having a life. Mike felt the dead leaves scrap his body as he continued to plunge himself forward. Mike suddenly felt his body stop, and he wasn’t the one doing it. He felt his heels digging themselves into the wet ground as his body was propelled into the unknown.

Mike quickly flung into action. He quickly unzipped his jacket and flung out from under the thick fabric. Mike’s eyes were trying to adjust to his surroundings, but his brain was struck with unfamiliar confusion because he was no longer in the place he had just once stood, and there was no way she had been holding him for that long.

Mike latched forward, and there she was again; however, she was now standing in front of him. Mike focused on the energy that was surrounding him. He squinted his eyes shut to form a connection to the flowing current. It was always there, but now, in this very moment, he was allowing for the current to flow through him like a whirling riptide. Mike felt his eyelids drop as he narrowed his eyes at the tree before him. His hand swiftly flung in the air as he made a simple but powerful hand motion in the air. It was effortless as the blood flowed from his nose.

Within moments, the red-haired girl's ears echoed the sounds of a snapping tree. As the mighty beast fell to the ground, she dodged it like it was nothing. The powerful vibration of the ground suddenly caused both to lose their balance, and Mike felt himself hit the dirt once again.

“Are you kidding me!?” Mike mumbled as he violently spat a mouthful of black dirt out into the open. Nature at it's finest. Mike was starting to think the universe really did have something against him. Mike’s bony knees slapped together as he stood up for another freaking time. Mike latched himself onto the other trees that were surrounding him. He wiped the hot blood away as he shut his eyes. Everything was spinning.

He could sense the girl moving behind the tree that was now acting as a barricade between them. Her ears were starting to pick up on the sound of his feet crunching the leaves, but she was in too much pain to move, and quiet frankly, she was too tired to even try to catch up with him. She had already used up most of her strength, and she was starting to think that she even had underestimated the boy’s powers.

Mike had managed to make it to the outside edge of the forest. He had been gripping the trees so hard that his hands were imprinted by the design of the bark. Mike felt the urge to give up; however, It wasn't until he saw something in the distance, that is when he let out a cry of utter relief. 

Street lights?

Mike pushed himself out into the open. He knew he had survived this time, but he was getting sick and tired of playing the game of survival. Mike felt his vision start to become blurry as he fell upon his knees. Mike’s wrists shook as he held himself up. He was starting to feel as though he had carpal tunnel.

Mike shut his eyes.

“Everything is going to be ok.” Mike whispered in order to reassure himself.

Mike could hear the opening and closing of a door. He swore he could almost make out the sound of somebody throwing out their garbage or maybe it was just a racoon.

“Mom!” somebody yelled. “There is somebody in the backyard!”

The voice disappeared; however, it was back in a matter of seconds.

“Jonathan… are you sure it’s not an animal?” Joyce called from inside of the house.

“No, I am telling you I saw somebody out there!”

“I don’t want you going outside! Stay inside!” Joyce called out, but it was too late.

Jonathan was already making his way out into the backyard. He had managed to grab one the flashlights which had been resting on the kitchen counter. Jonathan clicked it on and quickly scanned his surroundings. His sneakers began to soak up the moisture that was hiding between the fibrous stems of grass. The light glistened against the environment as Jonathan continued to check for what he thought he saw.

“Get inside Jonathan!” Joyce's voice echoed into the open.

She was now coming out of the house. There was no way in hell she was letting her boy stay out here when there could be a dangerous man lurking around the woods. God, she hated those woods.

“Mom!” Jonathan cried out as his flashlight landed upon the person he _did_ happen to see.

“What is it?” Joyce yelled as she rushed over to be by her son’s side.

Jonathan let the light linger and remain on the boy who was lying unconscious on their property. He first noticed how pale the boy looked and that his clothing was marked by spots of red blood. He noticed that he wasn't wearing a jacket which was a shame considering how damp it was. He looked like he had been to hell, and unfortunately, he had made it back. Jonathan noticed that there was more blood pouring out from the side of his head. Black circles marked his eyes.

“Oh my gosh!” Joyce said as she covered her mouth. Her entire body trembled. 

Jonathan quickly bent down and held the boy’s wrist gently between his fingers.

“He’s alive...” Jonathan said as he looked up at his mother with hot tear’s in his own eyes, “What should we do?”

Joyce knew that there was only one thing they could do.

“Bring him inside.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for reading. It really does mean a lot to me. 
> 
> Feedback and comments are so appreciated. Like... when I get a comment I almost cry... good tears.. tears of happiness.


	7. When the dust settles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane is kind of in a mood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, It actually didn't take me like two months to update. I'm pretty surprised with myself. I hope you all enjoy. In other news, twenty one pilots new album is really good.

Jane dragged her feet along the side of the road as she held on tightly to her plain backpack. At this point, she was starting to feel as if she had been carrying a brick house around with her. Jane didn’t dare glance around at the other kids who were gently gliding through the air on the swings, and she didn’t dare look at the bright, electric playground. The happy atmosphere only reminded her of the dark box she had been enclosed in. Ever since the incident, she hadn’t been feeling like herself. She had felt her sense of self deflate like a balloon. Jane was managing to keep her eyes fixed on her brown converse. The funny thing was, when she had first bought them, they had been white. It was hard to believe, at one time, her shoes had been as white as the snow. That’s what happened when she was having the time of her life with the party, but currently, she was starting to think that joy itself was a thing of the past.

“Hey Jane!” Somebody called in the distance.

Jane looked up, and in that moment, her sad eyes met with Dustin’s. The act of juxtaposition was taking place due to Dustin. He had a bright smile plastered on his face.

Dustin was standing by their usual spot, near the entrance of the school, and he was resting his back against the brick wall. He was wearing one of his typical nerdy science fiction t-shirts over a long-sleeved cotton top.

“Jane, hurry up! I don’t have all day,” Dustin said as he motioned towards the plastic watch that was resting on his wrist.

“It’s not my fault!” Jane said a little too harshly, “These books are really heavy, and my parents didn’t want to buy me a larger bag.”

Jane watched as Dustin’s smile evaporated from his face, “I’m sorry... but did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?”

All Jane could do was stare at him with a blank expression. She wasn’t in the mood for talking, let alone light humor. Jane just wanted to confide in Will today. Will, even though he knew nothing, if he did, he would be the only one who could truly understand. Jane glanced to the side and was met with a feeling of disappointment in her gut.

“Have you seen Will?”

Dustin shrugged as he played with his watch, “Nah… but I’m pretty sure he will be here soon.”

“What time is it?”

“It’s eight-forty.”

“Will is always here by eight-thirty.”

Dustin looked up and noticed the vacant space that usually held Hopper’s vehicle. Jane had a point. It was odd that Will wasn’t at school yet. Hopper always had to be at the station before nine. He was the chief after all.

“Maybe the traffic lights got delayed or something… or maybe he got abducted by aliens. Imagine... how cool that would be!”

“Not funny!” Jane said defensively.

“He never really is funny... Y'all know, just plain cheesy.” Lucas interjected.

“At least I have an imagination.” Dustin said as he through his hands up in the air. Dramatic as always.

“Then tell me, why are you failing English class?”

“Because my thoughts are so extremely enriched by the heavenly clouds of my imagination. They can’t even comprehend coming down to such a low-level to be written on a simple page. The teachers wouldn’t be able to handle my complex and incredibly gifted mind.”

“Honestly, if you talked like that in English class, the teachers would still tell you to shut up.”

“I doubt it. Lucas, I am just too charming, and everyone knows that. It’s just a common fact.”

“Then why does Shelly never want to be around you?”

“Because… people have to build up a resistance to be charm. I mean, if she was to hang around me for too long, well at first, she wouldn’t be able to take it.”

“Honestly, for once in my life, I think you may be right. Most people can only take you in small doses.”

Dustin rolled his eyes and playful nudged Lucas in the side. The morning wouldn’t be complete without their daily banter with one another.

“What do you think Jane? Am I too much for you to handle?”

Jane just stood there looking like an empty shell again. She watched as Dustin and Lucas’ faces both dropped at the same time.

“Are you alright?” Lucas asked, “Because if you’re not, maybe we could do something to cheer you up or something.”

Jane shook her head, “Actually, I am just going to drop my field trip paper off. I forgot to hand it in yesterday”

“Will come with you.” Dustin said as he leaped forward.

“No.” Jane said as she narrowed her eyes, “If you leave our spot, Will won’t know where we are, and he is anxious when he is by himself. Wait for Will. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

The two boys nodded and watched as Jane took off in the opposite direction of the school. They watched her disappear around the corner of the building. Whatever was bothering Jane, Dustin and Lucas hoped that it would go away. They were trying to be as normal as possible around her, but ever since that day, Jane seemed as if she was an entirely different person, and the two boys didn’t want to bring it up. They didn’t know how. When Jane was ready, she would open up. It just had to be on her own terms.

Jane had made her way past the second play structure that the school held. It was a bit larger in size, but it’s paint had taken a tole over the years. The rust was more prominent than the paint at this point. Jane took a seat at the corner of the playground. She was happy to give her legs a rest because her backpack really was that heavy. Jane closed her eyes and breathed in a chilly breath of fresh air. She just needed a break from everyone, and she just didn’t have the courage to tell the boys that.

“Hey, look who it is.” Lily said as she took a step towards the bench Jane was sitting on.

Jane looked up and felt her body immediately freeze as she saw the young group of girls that made her life a living hell each day.

“I though we told you to stay away from us?” Another girl chirped.

“Boys aren’t allowed to play on this side of the playground. You should know that by now… freak.”

Jane narrowed her eyes at the _supposed_ delicate group of girls. Today was the day she had enough. “What’s it to you? There is nothing wrong with boys. I don’t see how calling me a boy is an insult. You need to grow up. It seems like you’re a few years behind. I’m surprised the teachers didn’t notice your stupidity earlier on because now it’s _really_ starting to show.”

The other girls remained speechless because this was the first time Jane had really stood up for herself; however, Lily’s facial expressions remained unchanged as she flipped a piece of her long hair behind her shoulder.

“You can’t get away with talking to us like that.” Lily said as she took a step forward. She glanced at the necklace that was currently dangling around Jane’s necklace and spontaneously acted.

Jane heard the snapping of the chain and immediately felt her eyes feel the familiar sensation of tears. A moment of silence followed.

“Give it back!” Jane erupted.

Lily shook her head, “Nope, I’m sorry. You don’t deserve to be wearing something this pretty.”

“I said give it back!” Jane said as she jumped frantically in the air to retrieve her sunflower necklace that Will had given her, but Jane wasn’t tall enough to reach it. Jane kept jumping and jumping but the chain only dangled in the air. Jane felt all the rage inside of her starting to take a toil. Now, it had begun to bubble.

“Give it back now!” Jane said as she slowly enclosed her fists.

The girls just laughed and started to throw the necklace between one other. Jane snapped her fingers as she narrowed her eyes, but this time, she just had a different look to her. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a strong breeze started to life up Lily’s hair. Jane watched her face drop in fear. The merry-go-round started to rapidly spin around, kids rushing off the swings, now, the chains of the swings started to spin over the metal bars. Jane could hear the sudden screams of the other children. Everyone had fled from the playground. Jane reached out into the air, connected to the energy, and that was it. The necklace flew out of Lily’s hand and right back into Jane’s.

The group of once salty girls stood there… paralyzed by their own fear.

“I told you to give it back.” Jane said as the blood poured out of her noise.

And just like that, the girls took off. As they ran, they left nothing but a trail-end of dust and vacant space. It was as if they had been only a figure of Jane’s imagination, as if everyone was.

Jane felt herself fall onto the ground.

On the other side of town, the eyes of a certain boy finally opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I love to hear your comments, and feedback is always appreciated.  
> xo


	8. A Cry for Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike is distraught... for a number of reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I hope everyone is having a good holiday, and I hope this is a nice surprise. I finally decided to update this thing. As you all can probably tell, I'm probably like the worst updater ever? No joke. I've been so busy with work. In general, I've also had no motivation to write anything after finishing college. This is honestly the first thing I've written in months due to my laziness... and me constantly reading other people's fics. I am trying to get back into being creative and writing... sorry if I'm a bit rusty. I know I am.
> 
> As always, a big thank you to everyone who is enjoying the story!

A small ray of light peaked through the checkered curtains of the living room window as a long shadow reflected itself off of the worn-out floors that had once been stained a dark chocolate brown. A gentle haze lingered in the air as small, fragile dust particles started to dance with one another in the open. They had escaped from their home in the old curtains. 

Mike’s body jolted as his eyes shot open. Everything was slightly foggy, which made it incredibly difficult to focus on what was around him. Everything seemed distorted like a fun house mirror. Mike blinked a couple more times in an attempt to make everything come into proper focus. It only took a matter of seconds for Mike to immediately sense her presence. 

Mike quickly shut his eyes again. He had moments… if not, he only had milliseconds to catch her. Mike clenched his jaw as he tried his best to not focus on the pain that was currently flowing through his body again. It wasn’t as bad as before, but it was still persisting. Behind Mike’s eyelids, all he could see was darkness; however, it wasn’t the one he was familiar with.

“No.” Mike mumbled under his breath.

Mike tried to relax his body as best as he could. Mike felt his shoulders loosen up as well as his arms and legs. Mike breathed in deeply and allowed the warm air to capture his lungs. The electric current started to circle Mike and envelop itself around his mind. All of his focus remained on her as the boy allowed for the memory of the girl to linger in his current state of mind. He needed to find her right away because she was the one who had awoken him in some form of contact. Since she had communicated with him in this way, Mike knew that it was a sign of her powers getting stronger.

“I know you’re here.” Mike whispered; however, he had whispered it out loud. “Damn it! Damn it!” Mike hissed. 

It hadn’t even occurred to Mike that he was currently in some stranger’s house. Mike was too distracted. He remained focused on the image of the girl he had remembered from before. From everything to the pink dress she had been wearing, to her large chocolate brown eyes, everything was locked in Mike's long-term memory.

Mike’s eyes snapped open once more, but this time, he wasn’t greeted by the glowing sensation of sunlight. Instead, Mike was greeted by the darkness he was familiar with. What he considered to be home. Mike allowed himself to take a few steps forward; however, he still didn’t see her. Mike felt his heart rate speed up. 

What did this all mean? 

“Get out of here!”

“Run!”

“Help!”

“Help us!”

"Please! Don't!"

The terrifying screams of children lingered in the air as their various voices swirled around Mike. 

Mike turned around to where the cries were coming from. He’d be lying to himself if their words didn’t startle him. He felt a chill travel down his spin and rush to his arms and legs. Goosebumps now covered his skin. As Mike followed the ghostly cries for help, his body halted to a stop. Mike caught a glimpse of his own shoes which had now stopped by a shadowy figure that was currently hunched over on the ground. 

It was her.

Mike bent down beside the broken girl who currently had her head buried in her lap. Mike could hear her own desperate cries between the sniffling. Just by her body language alone, she looked absolutely broken. Mike had no idea what had happened, but he already knew it had to be something terrible. The raven boy was debating with himself… Should he put one of his hands on her shoulder? He decided against it. He didn’t really know how to react.

Mike paused for a brief moment.

“Are you ok?” Mike spoke softly so he wouldn’t startle the girl.

The girl slowly looked up at him with her bloodshot eyes.

Mike felt his stomach twist as his eyes fell upon the dark blood running down from her nose. She shook her head in defeat. Mike was at a loss for words.

With everything she had in her, the girl managed to stand up; however, her legs were fragile as they shook beneath her.

“What happened?!” Mike said in a now alarming tone.

The girl had begun to back away from him. She was forming distance between them, and now, darkness was consuming her.

“Get away! Get away from me!” She cried as her echoes lingered in the never-ending pit of emptiness.

“What did you do?” Mike felt his empathetic expression being painted over with a new face of terror.

“I didn’t mean to… to do this!”

Mike wasn’t dumb. He immediately began to connect the puzzle pieces before him. From the terrifying cries of the other children… to the sand that lingered on the girl’s dress… to the bleeding nose.

“You used your powers! Didn’t you!” Mike’s words came out as more of a demand than a question.

Mike began to pull at his black hair in frustration. “Why did you do that?! You shouldn’t have done that!” Mike felt his face flush. “They are going to come for you now! Do you know what you’ve just done?! I tried to warn you! I tried! Heck, they probably have someone working at the school! Why? Why! They just came after me!”

Jane let out another sob, “Leave me alone! Just leave me alone” She screamed, “This isn’t real. This is just a dream! Go away! Please! Just go away!”

Mike suddenly noticed that the darkness around him was brightening. No! This couldn’t be happening. Mike focused all of his energy into his current surroundings. He needed to talk to her and get more information on what happened. He needed to know!

“Listen, you have to stay with me and tell me what happened. I’m trying to help you! Just listen to me! Tell me where you are!” Mike cried in frustration. Mike blinked a couple of times as a flow of tears spewed all over his face. He had moments, but within those moments, Mike watched helplessly as the girl faded away into the distance. Mike watched as the air picked her up and swept her away in the current of it all.

It was too late now.

She was gone.

“No!” Mike screamed as he shot up from the couch he had been lying on. Mike pushed his wrists into the coach in anger. 

Joyce let out a startled scream as she took a step backwards and dropped the plate of food she was holding.

Mike felt his body freeze. He didn't want to move, but he allowed himself to turn his head ever so slowly. He stared blankly at the two people before him. One was a distraught looking woman with shaggy brown hair who was now pale due to almost being frightened to death by Mike’s small outburst. Mike's eyes now landed on the man beside her. He was dressed in uniform.

Mike's face dropped. 

This is bad. Mike thought to himself. Really bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this last chapter.
> 
> Honestly, I appreciate comments and feedback. It literally keeps me motivated to keep writing this thing... knowing people are actually enjoying the story!

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed it. I'm thinking about continuing this.
> 
> Also, my Instagram is @Reysunshinecosplay if anyone wants to follow me! I have some Stranger Things cosplays!


End file.
